When you scroll through Youtube, you always see these clowns that insert themselves “reacting” to whatever news it is that they’re talking about. It’s usually a picture of themselves inserted into the thumbnail that acts as a cover for the video that they’re making. And it looks absolutely ridiculous. Bullshitty even. This one guy who styles himself as U.S. COMBAT VETERAN REACTS is a case in point. In the comments section, I asked him if this was his combat face, but I never heard back.
Does this kind of thing really “sell” a video? Do people actually click on this stuff by being influenced by the so-called reaction of the creator? The sad truth is, you bet they do. And the guys who use this kind of bullshit know that they do, so that’s why they do it. Because to them, people are basically idiots who can be influenced by the stupidest of things. Like “reaction” insertions on thumbnails.
Actually, if you look closely enough at the examples in the lead photo of this story, you’ll see that U.S. COMBAT VETERAN PAUL has a go-to selection of reactions already curated for use, and he apparently just rotates through them, so much for the legitimacy of the reaction. But for many creators, anything’s fair game in their quest to monetize their channels and receive the coveted Youtube Play Button Award, often seen in the background of videos hosted by creators. Both of these things are dependant upon viewers and subscribers. The more you get and the more you have, the greater the opportunity to receive one of these plaques, which are available in four trims, each dependant upon your subscriber numbers.
Equally egregious is the practice of taking pictures out of context, isolating them, and inserting them in your bullshit thumbnail, as in the following:
It is possible not to be a media sleazebag, really it is. Just look at one of my pathetic thumbnails I made for a story on local grafitti and vandalism.
Admittedly, it’s nobody’s Rembrandt or Picasso, but at least I spare the planet from seeing my mug off to the side with some sort of outraged expression on my face. But then again, I have four followers, four subscribers, and a pathetic chance to ever receive the Play Button Plaque of Excellence, so there you go. Combat Veteran Paul rakes in the cash while pitiable Steve in Renfrew clips coupons (actually I don’t) so who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong.
I suppose I could get a fake one made at the local trophy shop and display it, but that kind of puts me in the same sleazy basket as the people I’m criticizing, so that’s a no-go. So I guess it’s champagne and Chateau-Briand for Combat Paul and white bread and well-water for Steve. Such is the way of the world, I guess.
My only course of action is to make fun of the fake reactors. So this morning after breakfast, I took a picture of my dishevelled self at my kitchen table feigning a reaction of shock. I opened up my photo editor and removed my image from the background, then placed it on top of some random photo I found on the internet, just to see what it would look like. The extraction is pretty brutal, but it was a rush job, and in less than ten minutes I had the following:
The result is far from flattering, but it’s exactly the kind of bullshit these guys do on a video by video basis. Also, I’m almost certain that my four followers and subscribers, once they see this graphic, will turn into zero followers and subscribers. Oh well. To tell the truth, I don’t look much better after my morning shower, so there you go.
I don’t know if the soldiers in the picture are even Russian as they appear to be well-fed, sober, and not on fire, as many things Russian have a tendency to catch on fire due to careless smoking. Also, the absence of a cloud of flies over their heads gives it away as a deep fake.
Listen, I’m by no means a purist, but it just bugs the fuck out of me to see these clowns doing this and having suckers like me jumping on their videos and adding to their view count. This kind of subterfuge gives other sleaze-bags like me a bad name.
So I had to call it out.
NEWSMAGRENFREW 